LSU junior guard Anthony Hickey (1), a native of Hopkinsville, Ky., will return home when the Tigers face Kentucky at 3 p.m. on ESPN.

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After failing a handful of smaller tests from Athens, Ga., to College Station, Texas, the LSU basketball team can significantly raise its grade with one ace today in Lexington, Ky.

The testing center, however, happens to be Rupp Arena, where virtually all in a crowd of 23,000 will be pulling for No. 18 Kentucky.

"You're playing in front of thousands of their fans," said LSU point guard Anthony Hickey, who is from Hopkinsville, Ky. "It's probably going to be the biggest crowd that we played in front of this year. Just how the atmosphere is and the fans are involved - we've got to make the first play. ...